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(No Model.) I B. B. HOUGH.

VALVE GEAR.

UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

BENJAMIN B. notion, OF WILD/IINGTON, DELAWARE, AssreNoR or oNE HALF TOSAMUEL e. WARNER, or sAME rLAoE.

VALVE-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,658, dated August3, 1886.

I Application filed November 14, 1885. Serial No. 182,860. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. HOUGH, of Vilmington, in the county ofNew Castle, and in the State of Delaware, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Valve- Gears; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a Viewin elevation of my improved valve-gear; Fig. 2, a sectional view of aportion of the same on line a: x of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a detailsectional view on line 3 y of Fig. 1.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved valve-gear; and tothis end my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, as hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, A designates the bed of the engine; B, the fly-wheelshaft; 0, the ordinary eccentric thereon, and D the eccentricstrap,connected with the eccentric-rod D by means of an adjustable connection.This rod is pivotally connected with the swinging lever or arm E,pivoted to the frame at 6. Such arm has pivoted to it the link F, whichin turn is jointed to the valve-rod F, connected with and operating theexhaust valves, as shown and described in my application No.

182,859, filed by me of even date with this one. In Fig. 1, at F, isshown a portion of one of these valves.

On the inner or rear side of the upper end of arm F is a pin, 6,carrying an anti-friction roller, 6 which engages the slot G in theswinging arm H, pivoted at or near its upper end to the standard H. Theinlet-valve opcrating-rod I, pivoted to the valve-operating bar at a,has its outer end threaded and passed through a lug, I, on the link 1and fastened thereto by means of nuts 1' v" on the rod on each side ofthe lug. The pivoted swinging arm H is slotted or fork ed vertically ina plane parallel to that in which the arm swings-that is, at rightangles to the axis of motion of the arm on its pivotand is also providedin one of the legs of the slot thus made with a slot,

K, curved from the pivotal connection of the valve-rod l', with thevalve-operating bar If as a center when the arm H is at the middle pointof its swing.

Between the forks of the arm H fits and slidesthe block L, having on itsside the arm or projecting portion L, fitting and sliding in slot K, andcurved with the same curvature as said slot.

To block L is pivotally connected the outer end of link I, and to thelug Z, on the upper side or end of the block, is pivoted the lower endof link M, which is pivoted at its upper end to lever N. This leverextends along close to and past the frame-standard upon which thegovernor O is supported, and is pivoted at n to the frame, preferably soas to swingin substantially the same plane with block L.

In a vertical dovetail groove on the governor-standard, close besidelever N, fits and slides the block 1?, having pin I projecting under andengaging the lower side of the lever. On the lever is a hook, N,extending under and adapted to engage the lower side of pin P. Insteadof such hook-lug, obviously a lug with a slot or opening to receive thepin could be used.

Into the upper end of slide block 1? is tapped the lower end of rod R,"connected at its upper end with and operated by the rising and fallingsleeve Itof the governor, which can be of any of the well-known formsdesired. I prefer, however, the form shown in the drawings-that is, thefiy-ball kind connected with and driven from the main shaft by anydesired gearing.

I have only shown a portion of the valves to be operated by connectionwith rods I and F, as no particular form of valveis to be claimed inthis application. So far, however, as the valve-gear or operatingmechanism shown and described in this application is con'cerned,anydesired forms of valve can be used without departure from my invention;but I prefer the forms of valves shown and covered in my otherapplication referred to, and have, therefore, shown in the drawings ofthe present case portions of such valves.

With the construction as shown and de 100 swinging of the arm H, whichis swung back and forth on its pivot by engagement of thefriction-roller e on pin 6' on swinging arm E with the slot G in arm H.As the latter arm swings, the amount of throw of the valvebar and thevalves will obviously depend upon the position of block L with referenceto the pivot of the arm, and will vary directly with the distance of theblock from such pivot. As the load of the engine is diminished from anycause, the governor-sleeve It will be drawn up by the governor in thewell-known way, and through rod R, slide-block P, and pin P will raiselever N. As the-lever rises, it will, through link M, raise block L, soas to bring it nearer the pivotal point of arm H, and so diminish thethrow of the inlet-valves and cause them to open theinlet-ports lesswidely, as and in the manner indicated hereinbefore. If the load isincreased so that more power and more strain are needed, the governorlowers the governor-sleeve in the well -known way, and the lever N islowered, carrying the block L downward and farther from the pivotalcenter of arm H, so that it and consequently the valves have greaterthrow, and the latter open the inlet-ports wider. This automaticadjustment of the block up and down on arm H is always proportional tothe load of the engine to the amount of steam needed and the work to bedone, so that the engine has been found to run most regularly andwithout any perceptible variation even when .the

most careful observations or tests have been continued for a long time.On account of the curve of slot K from the point of pivotal connectionof rod I, with the valve-bar 1 as a center, the block L is rendered mostfreely and easily adjustable up and down on arm H by the lever N andlink M. The adjustment has been found to take place not only easily,freely, and accurately, but without jar or noise; and in whateverposition the block is with reference to the arm H the forward and rearcurved sides of the part L of the block have such hearing against theforward and rear sides of the slot K that there is no tendency of theblock at any point of the swing of arm H to be slidup or down by theaction or resistance of link I and rod I upon it. In other words, theline of bearing of the part L of the block against the sides of the slotis always substantially at the most advantageous angle to the line ofdraft upon or application of power to the valve-operating rod.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith means for operating the exhaust and inlet valves of a steam-enginepositively in both directions, adjustable connections whereby the throwof the inlet-valves can be adjusted independently of the exhaustvalves,and automatic means for adjusting such connections, substantially as andfor the purpose shown.

2. In a valve-gear, in combination with a moving piece actuated bysuitable connections from a moving portion of the engine, means forconnecting and operating the exhaust-valves therefrom, and adjustableconnections between said moving piece and the inlet-valves, whereby suchvalves are positively operated in both directions, and their throw canbe adjusted without affecting the exhaust-valves, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a lever actuated from a moving part of theengine, means for connecting the same with the exhaust valve or valves,a movable piece actuated by connection with the lever, and means forconnecting the inlet valve or valves positively with such movable piece,made adjustable to regulate the throw of the inlet valve or valves,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with the lever E and connecting means whereby theexhaust valve or valves are operated therefrom, a swinging arm operatedby lever E, an adjustable block carried by the arm, and positiveconnections adapted to connect the block with the inlet valve or valves,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with lever E,suitably actuated from a moving part ofthe engine, an exhaust valve or valves and connections between the sameand the lever, the swinging arm actuated by the lever, the adjustableblock on the arm, the inlet valve or valves and connections between thesame-and the block, and automatic means, substantially as described,toadjust the block on the arm, so that it will have greater or less throw,substantially as and for the purpose shown.

6. In combination with the leverE and the eccentric-rod connected withand operating the same, suitable connections between the lever and theexhaust valve or valves for operating the latter, the swingingarmprovided with a slot engaged by roller on a pin on the lever E, thesliding block on the arm adapted to be moved toward or from the centerof motion of the arm, and connections between the block and theinlet-valves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7 In combination with the valve-operating lever and connections betweenthe same and the exhaust valve or valves, the swinging arm actuated bythe lever, a movable block carried by the arm and adapted to be movedthereon toward or from the pivotal center thereof, connections bet-weenthe block and.

IIO

the inlet valve or valves independent of the swinging arm, the leverconnected with the block to move the same on the arm, and a governoradapted to actuate the lever, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

8. In combination with the swinging arm and the block carried thereby,adjustable thereon to have greater or less throw as the arm swings,connections independent of the arm between the block and the inlet valveor valves, a lever, a link connecting the block and lever, a governorand connecting means between the same and thelever, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

9. In combination with arm H, having the curved slot K, the block L,having a portion fitting in and guided by the slot, the valveoperatingbar 1 and a connecting-rod connecting the bar and block, substantiallyas and for the purpose shown.

10. In combination with the valveoperating bar, the adjustable block,and a link-connection between the block and bar, the swinging armcarrying the block and having a slot curved from the pivotal connectionofthe link with the bar when the arm is at the middle of its swing, saidslot engaging a portion of or projection on the block, so as to guidethe latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In combination with the forked swinging arm H, provided with curvedslot K, the block fitting the fork of the arm and provided with aportion or projection guided by the curved slot, connections between theblock and the valve or valves, the lever N, the link M, connecting thelever and link, the governor,

and connecting means whereby the lever is moved by the governor,substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. In combination with the governor and the rising and falling sleevethereof, the slide provided witha pin, the rod connecting the slide withthe sleeve, the lever adapted to be moved by the pin, the link, theswinging arm,

the block adjustable on the same toward or BENJAMIN B. HOUGH.

Witnesses:

EDWIN J. PRINDLE, HENRY O. HAZARD.

